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Science (Civ5)
Introduction Science is a game concept in Civilization V which represents the research power of your civilization. Unlike other stats like Culture or Faith, it has only 1 use - the acquisition of new Technologies. This, however, is paramount for your progress in the game, because technologies unlock buildings and improvements that allow you to access resources and produce almost everything else, and they also advance your military, allowing you to fight more effectively. And, of course, it is one of the main paths towards winning the game, via the Science Victory. Scientific mechanics As with most Civilization games , your scientific progress is organised in Science points (SP), which are generated by sources whithin your empire and added to a total pool, which represents your current research effort. Each technology requires a certain amount of SPs to be discovered, besides having earlier technologies as prerequisites (the exact amount of SP required for each technologies depends on the map size). The research process is automatic, and starts once you set up your capital - this means that you're constantly researching something throughout the entire game. The more SPs you contribute each turn for research, the faster you are going to discover the current technology. - Note: You don't need to completely develop each technology before going to the next one - you can make some progress towards one, then change to another, if the strategic situation calls for it. Later, you'll come back to the first technology, and your scientists will resume from where they stopped. For a full list of technologies, see here. Producing Science Population and buildings The main source of SP in the game is your population. Each citizen in each city in your empire (even the Puppet cities) automatically contributes 1 SP to the total. On the other hand, each city (even Puppet cities) increase cost of new technologies by 2%! So, it turns out it's better to have a smaller empire with fewer cities, but a large Population in each one, rather than a large empire with many cities, each one having only 3 - 4 Citizens. Next, there are the Science buildings. However, most of them base their contributions on the number of citizens in the city where they're built. Which means that the same Library, for example, is more effective in a city with 20 population (providing +10 SP), than it is in a city with 6 citizens (providing only +3 SP). Certain Wonders also produce or enhance science (see below). Buildings that provide science that provide science Terrain Normally, terrain isn't a source of . The only type that has inherent science capabilities is Jungle, but only after you build an University in the city which controls it. Many Natural Wonders produce , and could be extremely beneficial to your empire in the early game, providing additional science when no other sources are yet possible. Finally, the Academy improvement adds a good amount of to a tile - again very useful in the early game (and also later - the initial amount increases with certain technologies). Terrain features that boost science Other sources Additional ways to boost your research is via stealing technologies from other civilizations, conducting Research agreements with them, or by using up a Great Scientist via his special ability. Also, certain Wonders give you free technologies when finished. that provide science Notes: *''Adopting Rationalism gives you a +15% while your empire is Happy (+10% ' '''in BNW) *''Adopting all Policies in the Rationalism tree will grant 2 free Technologies (1 free Tech in BNW)'' *''Completing Order gives you +2 science in every city'' *''Completing Freedom doubles production on Great Person tile improvements, including the Academy'' Science conversion After researching Education, your cities gain the ability to convert 25% of that city's current into . Just assign this ability in the Production function of a city, and it will start producing Science, adding points each turn according to its Production potential! Strategy Like I've mentioned above, scientific progress is vital for your empire, especially on higher difficulties, and even if you don't pursue Scientific victory. Good technological progress allows your army to gain an edge thanks to superior military tech; it gives you higher chances at completing Wonders because if allows you early access to them (and as we know, Wonders are completed on a 'first build - first serve' basis). The main key to scientific progress is large population, combined with wise building management (and of course, the Rationalism policy branch is a must). Built science buildings first in cities that will benefit the most from them. For example, build Universities first in cities with large population, or ones that are adjacent to jungle tiles - this way you'll bump up your scientific production the most. Most buildings base their bonus effects either on number of Citizens, or they give a percentage increase over the base science production of the city. For example, in a city with 20 citizens, a Library will produce +10 (1 per 2 citizens), while in a city with 6 citizens, the same building will produce only +3 . Next, assign Specialist scientists, especially in small cities (if you can afford it, of course, no use to starve your city just to have 1 specialist scientist), so that you can add SP to your base. Always build buildings giving percentage increase of something in a city which has high starting base of the something - this way you benefit the most, as shown above. Science is practically required for 2 of the 4 Victory conditions: Scientific Victory and Diplomatic victory. For the first you'll need to build a Spaceship, and its 4 parts are unlocked via 4 of the last technologies in the Information (Future in Vanilla Civ 5) era. In the second case, there is a Wonder needed to trigger voting for a World leader - the United Nations. This wonder is unlocked by the Globalization technology, which is also one of the last in the last era. Although, its prerequisites allow you to rush to it by skipping a good deal of the Atomic Era and Information era technologies. Without this Wonders it's impossible to win a Diplomatic victory (the voting will never start), and the others won't probably build it, if they see you have large influence with City-states. Finally, for a Domination victory you'll need a competitive army, capably of defeating all other civilizations. Again, late-game military technologies will be required for that.